A Tour of Ruina's Decay
With the Rabbit Hole Squad's boisterous self-introductions finally wrapping up in all their chaotic glory, the commander and I were given a tour of the facilities by the squad themselves. We'd be stuck here for a while, after all, so it made sense to memorize where everything was.
But the sight before my eyes surpassed even my wildest imaginings.
"First off, this is our training ground!"
"This is your training ground? To me, it just looks like… a shipping container."
Ruina Branch's training ground was, astonishingly, a container building. At least they'd slapped a few together, so it wasn't cramped, but compared to the theme-park-like facilities at Valkyrie Central Headquarters, this place was on the level of an abandoned apartment playground. And there was no dramatic twist once you stepped inside. The lights didn't even work properly, and wind whistled through the gaps in the containers.
"…Looks like there are some broken exercise machines just sitting there abandoned, too."
"How did your training ground end up like this?"
"Ah, there was that time an Erosion Species bombardment reached into the city. They probably set these up as a temporary measure and just kept using them ever since."
"No, you should rebuild them…."
Could anyone actually train properly here? I glanced at Ubina without thinking, and she flushed red on cue. Not that she needed to be embarrassed. It wasn't like it was her fault.
I can already guess what the rest of the place is like.
We visited the other facilities after that. Half the medical equipment in the infirmary was busted. The cafeteria had no cook, so Valkyries handled the meals themselves. The barracks had doors in some rooms that wouldn't even close right. It was a hellhole that left even the commander—who rarely showed emotion—visibly stunned.
When we finally reached the last spot, Ubina spoke up.
"And finally, this is… the commander's office, where you'll handle your duties, sir."
"…Somehow, this is the only place that seems spacious."
"The previous commander insisted the office had to be big…."
Central must have been sending support funds nonstop. So why were the facilities in such a pathetic state? The answer lay right there in the commander's office.
For starters, the walls and floor were of noticeably higher quality than everywhere else. Useless luxuries were scattered around the room. Yeah, looks like he dumped every penny into this.
As I looked around, I thought quietly to myself.
So that's why the facilities all start at level 0 in the original story….
Gray Valkyrie, the game where you raised Valkyries. In the original, you could upgrade facilities for your Valkyries. But they always began at a shabby level 0. That setting had carried over into reality, leading to… this.
Fixing this up properly would be no small task. What to do? I pondered briefly before reaching a conclusion.
Eh, no need for me to worry about it.
In a few days at soonest, a few weeks at latest, the incident would happen. It didn't matter to me, since I'd be dead by then. Once the prologue ended anyway, proper support would roll in. I'd just have to endure the inconvenience for now.
As I neatly sorted my thoughts like that, the commander beside me addressed me seriously.
"Leira. This situation…."
"…."
"Leira?"
I almost responded on reflex but barely swallowed my voice. He'd slipped back to polite honorifics when addressing me. It didn't really matter how he called me, but this undid all my hard work building rapport.
So instead of answering, I just stared at him intently. He fidgeted under my gaze for a long moment, then seemed to recall our earlier promise. Scratching the back of his head, he opened his mouth.
"Ah, um… Leira."
"Yes, Commander? Did you need something?"
"Oh my."
"Ooh…."
The onlookers around us gasped at the exchange. Dalia and Promina's eyes brimmed especially with curiosity, wondering just what kind of relationship the commander and I had.
Good. That was part of the effect I was going for. This guy's my prey. Hands off. It was a blatant warning in their eyes.
But the commander, oblivious to such nuances, just picked up where he'd left off.
"What do you think of our current situation?"
"Ruina's facilities are… excessively rundown. The previous commander must be the cause. I'm worried it might even affect our equipment in this state."
"I think so too."
"I hope the outer walls and rail lines are at least intact…."
I furrowed my brows slightly, feigning concern. Of course, I felt nothing of the sort. But right now, this expression suited Leira best. Fortunately, the others seemed to buy it.
Luckily, Leira's face makes her look like a diligent beauty.
Hm? What's this….
Then my eyes caught on something on the commander's desk. A single document.
It was about a recent uptick in civilian disappearances outside the city. The numbers weren't huge, so it was the kind of news you could brush off lightly.
Yeah. It's really coming soon.
But I knew. This was the trace left by the one who'd bring my death. Smiling faintly, I crumpled the paper and slipped it into my pocket.
"I think that's enough of the tour. You've all worked hard."
"Th-thank you, ma'am!"
"You too, Commander. Ah, you haven't had dinner yet, right? Want to drop our stuff in our rooms and meet back up? Let's eat together."
"Yes. I'll wait at the entrance then."
With the commander's office as the finale, the facility tour ended. Tomorrow, real work begins, I suppose. I picked up my suitcase and headed to my assigned room.
Then Ubina approached, her roll-bun hair bouncing, looking for all the world like she'd committed some grave sin—groveling attitude and all.
"H-has your anger subsided a bit now…?"
"Pardon?"
"You seemed mad at me earlier…."
"I wasn't really angry."
"B-but that glare was so scary!"
"I was just a little hurt that you ignored what I said…."
"Ah, ugh… I'm sorry…."
"Really, no need to apologize."
Weird. Why was she so terrified? In the original story, she got along fine with Leira. Was it because I was inside now? I kept up my smile while breaking into a cold sweat inwardly. My acting was flawless, so probably not. Unless she saw through my plans….
Tch, sharp instincts for no reason.
I quickly rifled through my original-story knowledge. No need to perfectly impersonate Leira, but she absolutely could not glimpse my true intentions.
So, time to win Ubina over. I naturally brought up a topic she'd like.
"By the way, you're not using that speech pattern from earlier?"
"Pardon?"
"You know, 'sawayo~' or whatever…."
"Eek… D-did it bother you…?"
"No, not at all! I just thought it was… cute."
"C-cute…?"
Her face split into a dopey grin, like she'd been revived from the brink of death. I felt a surge of confidence inwardly. Ubina loved praise for her ojou-sama speech quirk. My words were a perfect weak-spot hit. As expected, she puffed out her chest and raised her voice proudly.
"Oho! You know it well, sawayo!"
"Tell me more about it sometime. I want to learn too."
"Of course! Anytime you like, sawayo!"
Easy. A little sweet talk, and she follows like a puppy. I sneered inwardly at Ubina gazing up at me with sparkling eyes… then unwittingly averted my gaze.
It's burdensome. Makes me think of Alicia for some reason….
I chatted lightly with Ubina on the way to the barracks. Despite her flashy looks, she had a simple, gullible personality. With Leira's signature gentle vibe and some kind words, I could visibly see her fondness for me rising.
Rabbit Hole Squad… Building some rapport wouldn't hurt.
At this point in the story, they were the most useful tools available. Stage: Ruina. Leads: Me and the commander. Props: Rabbit Hole Squad. Yeah. Not bad.
I pictured the near future and flashed a bright smile.
Late that night, the day the commander and Leira arrived in Ruina. The Rabbit Hole Squad was gathered in Ubina's room as usual, two to a bed, rolling around in their usual positions. Ubina bounced her roll-bun hair like a spring as she muttered.
"The new commander is such a handsome gentleman, sawayo…."
"Yeah…. Total opposite of that pale pig from before…. He got scared and ran off alone in a winnable fight and died…. What an idiot."
"I don't like badmouthing others, but I have to agree there."
"Hehe."
They were recalling the now-deceased previous commander. He'd treated Valkyries like inconvenient tools and squandered support funds on nonsense. After that experience, they were especially thrilled with this new one. His good looks were secondary; he just didn't give off that previous disgusting vibe at all.
Maybe fun times lay ahead, different from before. At least Ubina looked overjoyed.
Then Dalia, clinging to her, sat up and voiced the question she'd held back earlier.
"Hey, Captain. Why were you so scared back there?"
"Huh? What do you mean, sawayo?"
"She's talking about Leira, right? You forgot your usual speech pattern just from her calling your name once…. It was embarrassing as fellow squadmates."
"Ah her."
"Anje says you looked dumb too."
They recalled their first meeting with the commander. More precisely, the incident where they'd gotten too hyped and earned a scolding from Leira. Unlike the other three, who'd quickly grasped her personality and relaxed, Ubina had been terrified right up until they parted.
Why fear such a gentle woman? Blinking at the question, Ubina shot back.
"Eh…? If anything, I want to ask you all that. You didn't feel anything back then, sawayo?"
"Feel what…?"
"Wasn't she just a normal nice person?"
"Ung."
"Anje agrees."
Leira was definitely a good person. The way she seriously worried over the rundown facilities, her diligent yet unmistakably kind nature she couldn't hide, the bright smiles at little things—it made you want to call her big sis without thinking.
They just tilted their heads at the incomprehensible remark. Ubina scratched her cheek awkwardly before answering.
"No, well… um, maybe it was like that…. But I felt it, sawayo…. That queenly aura of hers!"
"Queenly?"
"Eyes like she was staring at a pig about to be slaughtered…! The vibe that she could snap your neck effortlessly if she wanted… I kinda felt it…?"
Ubina replayed the memory. Those eyes staring right at her as she called her name. For some reason, they sent chills down her spine on instinct. A gut feeling that you absolutely couldn't make her an enemy. Like everything about her was in Leira's grasp.
But the other three couldn't agree at all. There was a limit to twisting a normal person into something weird. Dalia yanked Ubina's hair.
"Total delusion on your part, Captain. We were right there too, and felt nothing like that."
"Yeah, she was super kind, actually."
"Aong."
"Plus, she complimented your silly speech quirk. Total good person, right?"
"S-silly…?! What do you mean by my speech, sawayo!"
The other three just chuckled at her outburst. Her ojou-sama speech, imitating manga ladies. For someone to praise that… how good must her personality be?
Soon, they exchanged glances and concluded.
"Conclusion: Captain just got scared for no reason."
"Ubina's always been a scaredy-cat. Last time she went to the bathroom at night, she mistook a cat for a demon welcoming her to hell…."
"Y-you promised to keep that secret, sawayo?!"
"Scaredy-cat."
"Anje says scaredy-cat too."
"I heard that just now, sawayo!"
Ubina flailed her arms in indignation. Of course, no one took her seriously. She was squad leader in name, but treated like a pet. Exhausted, Ubina panted as she nestled into Dalia's arms. Staring blankly at the ceiling, she tilted her head.
Yeah… must've been my imagination?
No way such a nice person could be otherwise. Shoving her suspicions aside, she relaxed. Somehow, she felt their future here would be fun.